Utility conduit



Nov. 15, 1938. A. CORBETT UTILITY CONDUIT Ol iginal Filed May 22, 1956INVENTOR 6 M ATTORNEYS Uunnn l l l um wN MN mounting upon buildingwalls, for example, as shown is formed to provide at the upper edges 5"rap STATES tries UTILITY @QNBXUIT Alfred tllorbett, Irwin, Pa,assigiior to National Electric Products Corporation, a corporation ofDelaware Application May 22, 1936, Serial No. 81,262 Renewed April 16,1938 4 Claims. (0!. 247--3) This invention relates to a multiple-outlet,through the cover strip 8 forming an element of multiple-channel duct.the duct housing.

The object of the invention herein disclosed is The channel element ofthe duct housing is of to provide a conduit of particular suitabilityfor relatively light-gauge resilient metal, and as an element of abaseboard or as a chair rail, of its side walls 3 recurved lateralflanges 9, after the walls have been completed, and withwhich in theduct perform the primary function out cutting into a baseboard or anyother region of resiliently engaging the cover strip 8 to the of thewall surface; which conduit is adapted channel element of the housing.In the con- 10 for housing lengths of multiple outlet duct, or duitassembly the opposed edges of the conduit 10 plug-in strip. Further itis the object of my side walls 2. are spaced apart such distance thatinvention to provide in such conduit a plurality they partially overliethese lateral resilient of enclosed channels for housing the electricalflanges of the multiple outlet duct housing. The conductors of aplurality of circuits in physically multiple duct assembly may thus beintroduced s separated position; and within the bounds of into, andengaged with, the conduit shell either the conduit structure to provideat intervals by entering'it into an open end of the conduit junctionspaces, or junction boxes, for feed conshell and slipping it therealong,or by rocking nection and for taking ofi branch circuits. the multipleoutlet duct about its longitudinal It is further an object of myinvention to proaxis into a snap engagement with the conduit vide theabove functional features in a conduit shell. 20 which is of simplestructure, and which is of With the multiple outlet duct in assemblysimple and pleasing external appearance. position in the conduit shell,it will be seen that In the accompanying drawings Fig. I is a-. theconduit provides auxiliary lateral ducts lying fragmentary plan view ofmy conduit, with cerbetween the side walls 2 of the conduit shell andtain of the cover elements of the structure rethe walls of the ductchannel element to both moved to expose the junction regions within thesides of the multiple outlet duct. As these auxcondllitiliary ducts l0and H are physically separated Fig. H is a fragmentary bottom plan viewof by the multiple outlet 'duct housing, they may the conduit,illustrating one form of feed conwith propriety be used to house theelectrical nection e o. conductors of circuits of different potential,such, 30

Fig. III is a cross-sectional view, taken on the for example, as atelephone circuit and a buzzer plane of the section line III--III ofFig. I, becircuit. As shown in Fig. III, conducting wires tween junctionregions of the conduit. l2 and I3 of two different circuits are shown asFig. IV is a cross-sectional view, taken on the housed respectively inthe auxiliary ducts I0 plane of the section line IV-IV of Fig. I, at aand II. 35 junction region of the conduit. In regions along the lengthof the conduit,

In the drawing, the conduit shell, or body. lengths of the multipleoutlet duct are not in end comprises a base I, and convergently curvedside abutment, but are spaced to leave within the walls 2 upstandingfrom the base. Desirably, cavity of the conduit intervals I! which serveas shown, the base I and side walls 2 are formed the purpose oijunctionboxes. In these inter- 40 from a single piece of metal. The base I isalso vals bridging connection is made between the shown flat to lie upona plane surface, but may conductors of the adjacent multiple outlet ductbe formed with any desired irregularity of consections, as by use ofterminal blocks 15 attour to match with an irregular surface upon whichthe main conductors 6 and I to the mulwhich the conduit is to bemounted. tiple outlet duct make electrical connection with 45 As shownparticularly in Figs. I and III of the bridging lengths of conductingwire l6 and i1.

drawing, the conduit region lying between the The cover 8 of themultiple outlet duct being opposed edges of the side walls 2 is occupiedabsent at these junction spaces I4, auxiliary primarily by multipleoutlet duct. This multiple cover members 18 are utilized wholly toenclose outlet duct, in accordance with preferred practhe conduit. Asshown in Fig. IV of the draw- 50 tice, has a. housing for electricalconductors ing, each of these auxiliary cover members I8 formed as achannel element 3 and a channel has along its longitudinal edgesslightly divergent cover 8, receptacle elements 5 being at intervals andlongitudinally indented flanges l8a. These electrically connected withthe conductors 6 and cover elements thus have a resilient engagement lof the duct, and accessible by way of openings with the edges of theconduit walls 2, and by appropriate positioning of the longitudinallocking indentations in end flanges We may be made to engage in suchplane that they match with the covers 8 of the multiple outlet duct toprovide a cover of uniform external appearance throughout the length ofthe conduit.

The base i of the duct channel element has therein a plurality ofknock-outs H! at which feed connection to the conduit may be made. Figs.II and IV of the drawing illustrate the use of cable connectors adaptedto engage armored cable 2| for feeding the conduit. It is to beunderstood, however, that other suitable feed connection, such, forexample, as that disclosed in the application of Martin M. Clayton,Serial No. 81,204 filed May 22, 1936, may be utilized electrically tofeed the conduit.

At the junction box shown to the right in Fig. I of the drawing, a feedconnection 22 is shown as made at the splices 23 in bridging conductorsI 6 and I! for feeding the multiple outlet duct. At the same splices 23the conducting wires 12 of an auxiliary circuit are taken off and areled into and along the auxiliary duct ID of the conduit. Obviously, thepotential carried in the conducting wires 12 is the same as that in theconductors of the multiple outlet duct.

In the junction box at the left in Fig. I of the drawing, splices 24 aremade to the bridging wires l6 and I! of the multiple outlet duct to feedthe conducting wires 13 of a second auxiliary circuit which lies in theauxiliary duct ll of the conduit. At this same junction box, theconducting wires 25 of a third auxiliary circuit are directly introducedinto the interior of the conduit, and are led into and along theauxiliary duct I 0. The introduction of these conducting wires 25 isillustrative of the introduction and housing of circuit wires conveyingcurrent" of potential diifering from that of the other circuits. Thus itwill be seen that wires 25 do not parallel in the same duct otherconducting wires carrying current of difierent potential, but thatdisadvantageous inductive eiiect is avoided in the conduit by theinterposition of walls formed of conductive material between circuitspossessing diversity in potential. At the junctions the high potentialand low potential circuits desirably are separated by insulatingbarriers of some suitable material, such as fibre or molded insulation,shaped for interposition between adjacent portions of the circuits.

The conducting wires of the auxiliary circuits housed in the conduit mayreadily be led off from the conduit by drilling through one of theconduit walls 2 at an appropriate point therealong. In Fig. I of thedrawing, the conducting wires 25 of one auxiliary circuit are shown asissuing through a drilled opening 26 in the conduit wall.

The conduit of my invention is thus a utility conduit advantageouslyinstalled in various positions on building walls. If desired, it maycomprise merely the multiple outlet duct and mounting for it, but itpossesses also a more general utility, in that the conducting wires ofadditional circuits may also be separately housed within it. Theappearance of the utility conduit as a whole is pleasing, since it maybe made of simple contour without surface projections or irregularity inits form.

It is to be understood that, if so desired, each length 01' multipleoutlet duct may be individually fed at a junction box. Also, byappropriately forming the walls of the conduit shell at their opposededges in the junction box regions, or by appropriately forming the coverstrips of the multiple outlet duct, these cover strips may be made alsoto enclose the junction boxes. It is, however, desirable that themultiple outlet duct covers and the junction box covers be separatelyapplicable and removable in the manner shown and described.

I claim as my invention:

1. A utility conduit comprising a conduit shell adapted for directmounting on an underlying surface and having a longitudinally extendedopening in its upper region spaced from the lateral boundaries of theconduit, lengths of elongate multiple outlet duct each comprising achannel element lying within the conduit, the lengths of multiple outletduct and the conduit shell in assembly cooperatively defining at leastone auxiliary duct within the conduit shell and lying laterally of themultiple outlet duct; and at least one junction box defined by aninterval within the conduit which interval is formed by the physical endspacing of adjacent channel elements of the multiple outlet ductlengths, the lengths of multiple outlet duct being electricallyinterconnected at the junction boxes, said junction boxes accommodatingfor the making of feed connection to the multiple outlet duct and to theelectrical connection of auxiliary duct conductors.

2. A utility conduit comprising a conduit shell having a longitudinallyextended opening in its upper region spaced from the lateral boundariesof the conduit, lengths of elongate multiple outlet duct each lengthcomprising a channel element lying within the conduit, the lengths ofmultiple outlet duct and the conduit shell in assembly cooperativelydefining at least one auxiliary duct within the conduit and lyinglaterally of the multiple outlet duct; and at least one junction boxdefined by an interval within the conduit shell which interval is formedby the physical end spacing of adjacent channel element of the multipleoutlet duct lengths, said junction boxes accommodating for the making offeed connection to lengths of multiple outlet duct, and to theelectrical connection of auxiliary duct conductors.

3. A utility conduit in accordance with the definition of claim 1comprising separately applicable and removable cover elements for themultiple outlet duct channel elements and for the junction box adaptedrespectively for engagement to the walls of the duct channel element andfor engagement with the conduit shell in the region thereof forming ajunction box.

4. A utility conduit in accordance with the definition of claim 2comprising separately applicable and removable cover elements for themultiple outlet duct channel elements and for the junction box adaptedrespectively for engagement to the walls of the duct channel element andfor engagement with the conduit shell in the region thereof forming ajunction box.

ALFRED CORBETT.

